Switch lock



April 22 1924.

s. wELLs SWITCH LOOK mvemtl' Samue a Wy?? y Filed Dec.

Patented pr. 22, 11924.

stars SAMUEL G. WELLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SWITCH LOOK.

Application filed December 18, 1920. Serial No. 431,658.

To all witam it mag/ Gomera.:

Be it known that I, SAMUnL G. VVnLLs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago. county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Switch Locke, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switch looks and it has for its principal object the provision of a new and improved arrangement of latching and looking means for holding a switch lever in position, this result being atta-ined 'prefera'bly without the use of Springs or of delicate 'looking mechanisms which are likely to deteriorate rapidly in use when exposed to the weather.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described'and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyin'g drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which- Fig. 1 is a front view of my improved mechanism with the front face plate removed for elearness of illustration,

Fig. 2 is a central Vertical section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1,

Fig., 3 isan enlarged detail view, being a section taken substantially at line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and I Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view. being a section taken at line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates one of the cross ties of a railway track having a base 11 secured thereon by means 'of spikes 12 of any approved type. Rising from the 'base 11 is a standard 13 which in the construction shown is formed integrally with the base. rl`he standard 13 is to be placed in such a position that a switch lever 14, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, is adapted to move up and down by the side of the standard, the arrangement being such that when the switch lever 14 is in position as shown in the drawings the switch which is to be operated by such lever is in position for the passage of a train, the switch (not shown) being located in a line of track at any convenient point adjacent thereto.

Rising from the base 11 adjacent to the standard 13 'but in spaced relation thereto, I have provided another standard in the form of a housing comprising a member 15 as shown in Fig.. 1 and a face plate 16 shown 'in dotted lines in said Fig. 1.

in position in Fi'g. 2 for enclosing the working parts as hereinafter described, the face plate 16 being held in position by means of rivets 17. Pivotally mounted within the housing, I have provided a latch member 18, the opening` for the pivot pin 19 being located near one side of the latch member whereby apreponderance of weight of the latch member is'provided at one side of the pivotal axis'so that there is a constant tendency of the latch member to turn in the direction for carrying the upper end of the latch member toward the right in Fig. 1, away from the standard 13. A lug 20 is provided at the lower end of the latch member which is adapted by engagement with the adjacent rivet 17 to limit the swinging of the'latch member in clockwise direction in said Fig. 1. As is shown in Fig. 1, the side of the member 15 of the housing adjacent to the standard 13 is cut away for permitting the mounting of the latch member 18 and the rotary movement of such latch member about the pivot pin 19 as hereinafter set forth.

With the latch member 18 in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1, with the outer edge of its lower end portion extending diagonally downwardly tow'ard the standard 13, the switch lever 1a is adapted to be moved downwardly into the position shown in the figure, the engagement of the lever `14: with the protractedend portion of the latch memberserving to turn the latch member about pin 19 into the position shown i For holding the latch member 18 in such turned position with its upper end portion protracted beyond the side of the housing so as to overlie the switch lever 14:, I have provided an automatically acting latch 21 pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin 22. As is shown in the solid line position of the parts in Fig. 1, the latch 21 rests upon the upper end ofthe latch member 18 which is curve'd in the form of an are about the pivot pin 19. When the latch member 18 is moved into the position shown in dotted lines, however, the latch 21 moves by gravity into engagement with the side of the latch member for preventing the return of the latch member to the position shown in solid lines; there being a notchecl portion 21 formed in the latch member 21 for the reception of the corner portion of the member `1,8 as indi- .Cated at 18'- WiD-h 11116 lil; 21 in lowered position in contact with the side of the latch member 18, the latch member 18is located in position serving to prevent the upward. movement of the switch level' 14., i

Inasmuch as the latch 21 is completely enclosed within the housinf, it is necessary that means be provided for moving the latch upwardly for releasingv the latch member 18. For this purpose, I have provided a key 23, which is adapted to be inserted through a key opening 24s upon a pin 25 as is ordinary construction for' raising the latch member in the mannci' indicated in Fig. 1. A Safety barrel 26 of any approved type isprovided for co-operation with the keyT 23 for pi'eventi'ng operation of 'the laztch 21 by unauthorized parties. As will be readiily understooch the key 23 and its co-operating parts may bo of any approved construction and operation.

Between the housing and the standard 13, I have provided a rounded bar or support 2-7 which forms the stop' by which movement of the lever 14 is limited. By reason of the roundecl formation of the part 27, the levei` 14 upon coming down upon the upper edge of vthe block is adapted very y'readfily to loosen any ice 01' snow which ma;T have gathered between the housi'ng and the standard.

In operation, with the switch lever 14 hcldV in position by the latch member 18 as is shown in dotted 'lines in Fig. 1, when it is desired to throw the switch operatecl by the lever 14,. the latch 21 is raised by the use of a suitable key, whereupon the weight of the vlat'ch Vmember 18 causes such member to swing` back into the position shown in solid lines upon the withdrawal of the switch lever 14. Upon the -rem'oval of the key7 the latch member is maintained by gravity in its solid line position in Fig. 1. When it is desired again to lock' the switch in normal position corresponding to the (lotted line position of the lever 14:, the lever 14: is free to assume vthe position as shown serving to move the latch member again to the dotted line position in the manner above described. By the use of my construction, an operator is able to open the switch and to close it again in due 'time by the use of a key only at ,the time when the switch is opened. 'By reason of the very sim-ple'construction without the use of any part which is lilrely to detcriorate rapidly or to break in use, my construction is adapted to last for an indefinitely long period and to give satisfactory service continuously. w

lllfhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carryinf;` my inve lin into etl'ect`y this is capable of Variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and iuoditications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having' describcd my inven-tion, what I claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Looking means for switch levers comprising` a standard by the side of which a switch levcr is adapted to pass, a housing opposite said standard and in spaced relation with respect thereto, means arranged in said housing for looking said level' against movement, andv a support traversing the space between said standard and said housing by which movemen-t of said lever is limited, said i'pport being substantially oval shape in cross section and co- Operating with said lever upon a dow-nward movement thereof to keep the space between said standard and said housing free from the collection of snow or the like.

2. Looking means for switch levers comprising a standard by the side of which a switching lever is adapted to pass7 a housing opposite said standard and` in spaced relation with respect thereto, means arranged in said housing for looking said lever against movement; means for releasing said looking means, and means arranged between said standard and said housing and cooperating with said lever for l-'eepintg` the between said standard and said housing" free from the collection of snow or the like.

In testimony wherof I `have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing:V witnesses.

SAMUEL G; WELLs.

lllfitnesses:

JosnU-R. H. Por'rs, CLAnnNon E. THREEDY. 

